The Cowboys should consider extending Tyler Smith as early as this offseason

It would be wise for the Cowboys to get ahead of some extensions this offseason, Tyler Smith among them.

When the Dallas Cowboys drafted Tyler Smith in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft, many criticized the pick, considering him a developmental project at best. Three years later, Smith has been named to his second Pro Bowl and has one second-team All-Pro nomination.

Smith was thrust into the starting lineup his rookie year, but out of emergency with left tackle Tyron Smith going down for half the season with an injury. He spent his second season as a left guard, and that started to earn him respect as one of the NFL’s best young offensive linemen, getting nominated for his first Pro Bowl.

With Zack Martin on injured reserve and his future with Dallas and the NFL in question, Smith has emerged as the next man up to lead the offensive line room filled with young players. Terence Steele has the most experience, but Smith has become a captain-like figure in handling business on and off the field.

“Being in the o-line room, being around the great guys that I have [been around],” Smith said during an interview back in training camp. “They imparted on me a lot of knowledge. It’s my job to pass that knowledge on and continue to make sure that the standard of our room is held long after I’m gone and especially while I’m here.”

The Cowboys have a lot to figure out this offseason, and at the top of that list sits the question of who will be the team’s next head coach and how much money Micah Parsons will command. However, outside of those two glaring questions, the front office should consider signing Smith to a long-term extension as soon as possible.

Not only will he need to be what the o-line is built around for the foreseeable future, but contracts for the offensive guard position are not getting any cheaper. In the 2024 offseason, Philadelphia Eagles guard Landon Dickerson signed a four-year. $84 million deal. That contract is the richest at that position in NFL history.

Dickerson has been one of the league’s best, but Smith has been right up there regarding consistent dominance in the trenches. Offensive line play has become more mainstream over the last few years, making more eyes visible on how important the position has become. Specifically at guard, the versatility needed to be excellent in run blocking and pass blocking is critical. Teams with dominant guards aren’t letting them walk out the door, like the Eagles, Dickerson, and the Washington Commanders with Sam Cossmi.

The only 2025 free agent at the guard position of note is Zack Martin, who could be retiring at the end of the year. Outside of the future Hall of Famer, there aren’t many other names who could re-set the market at the position, but that doesn’t mean other teams will not look to extend their in-house with the bubble building around guard salaries.

Smith has all the boxes that must be checked to warrant a long-term deal: Pro Bowls, All-Pros, a leader in the locker room, and high-caliber play between the tackles. The Cowboys can pick up his fifth-year option for 2026, pushing him to hit the market to 2027. However, depending on what happens over the next two offseasons, signing an All-Pro, multi-Pro Bowl guard could cost nearly $27 million a year.

The Cowboys have tried to get ahead of negotiations with their own before, as recently as Trevon Diggs, Terence Steele, and all the other premier offensive linemen like Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick, and Zack Martin in the past. If they want to figure out who will be the building blocks for the next era of Cowboys football, having Tyler Smith locked up would benefit everyone.